


Express Shipping

by orphan_account



Category: Olympics RPF, Swimming RPF
Genre: Break Up, Drabble, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Infidelity, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-24
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2018-02-06 00:43:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1838131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael lets go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Express Shipping

* * *

The photo itself is grainy and a little out of focus, but it’s in full color and Michael will always be able to recognize Ryan’s broad shoulders and loping stature… even if it is in some crummy tabloid snapshot. The girl Ryan’s with is harder to recognize, but Michael doesn’t really care. He doesn’t need to know who she is to know that it’s not him and, therefore, Ryan is saying- in a rather fucked up sort of way- that they’re really over this time.

They’ve gone back and forth in the past but that was always in private.

This is public.

This is permanent.

“Okay then,” Michael nods resolutely after letting a few tears fall. He dries his eyes, says to himself, “If that’s what he wants, let him have it.”

Then a little voice in his head tells him, “ _Now you can have what you want too_.”

The fact that Michael has never thought of it that way before is almost comical- in a sarcastic, cynical kind of way. But as he thinks about it more and more he can’t help but feel a surge of hope spring up in his chest. Perhaps now he can finally start living for himself instead of chasing after Ryan, constantly trying to be what the other man wanted. It’s a feeling of freedom he’s never experienced; more powerful than a hurricane hurtling up the coast and more exhilarating than any race he’s ever won.

\--

For the first few weeks after what the swimmer silently refers to as the “Tabloid Catastrophe of 2013” he spends a lot of time alone, just thinking about things. He starts redefining himself and parting ways with the facets of his personality that used to cater to Ryan’s expectations.

Michael starts by clearing his condo of anything and everything that makes him think of Ryan starting with a few U of F t-shirts and a BAPE hoodie. By the time he’s finished he’s got a black garbage bag full of stuff; there’s a pair neon green flip flops, a half empty box of strawberry flavored condoms, a Ninja Turtles screen printed tee, a small packet of rolling papers and the remnants of an eighth of Kush, a plush hippo that farts when you squeeze it’s stomach, and a million other little things like movie ticket stubs and bar napkins with funky drawings on them. Then, just as he’s about to haul it all out to the curb to be thrown away with that day’s trash Michael gets a better idea. Michael loads the bag into the back of his Range Rover and drives to the UPS store. He has the clerk package everything up in a big box and send it first class back to Gainesville.

“Do you want to write a special message to put on the box?” The clerk asks. “It doesn’t cost any extra.”

“Sure,” Michael says, smiling. The clerk hands him a Sharpie and a little sticker form for him to write his message on. He writes, **_“Fuck You”_** and hands the little form back to the clerk who then peels the backing off of the sticker to reveal the adhesive side and sticks it to the box.

“Is there anything else I can help you with, sir?” the clerk asks.

“Nope, that’s it.” Michael replies, feeling a heavy weight lift off of his shoulders.

“Well then, you have a good day now,” the clerk smiles.

“Trust me,” Michael says as he walks out the door, “I will.” 


End file.
